Bravo fires Jax Taylor from Vanderpump Rules: His wife Brittany Cartwright is also exiting

Variety

The married couple announced their departure Friday night via separate Instagram posts. Bravo later confirmed the news to Variety. "Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright will not be returning to Vanderpump Rules," said a Bravo spokesperson. Variety's Kate Aurthur reports that Taylor's firing had been "long-anticipated." "The countdown to Taylor’s ouster began months ago, as soon as Bravo fired co-stars Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute because of their past racist actions against Faith Stowers, a Black former Vanderpump Rules cast member," explains Aurthur. "In 2018, Schroeder and Doute reported Stowers to the police for a crime she had nothing to do with. Stowers revealed what they had done during an Instagram live chat in early June of this year. Her account went viral. After the firings, fans called on Bravo to fire Taylor as well, since he had also accused Stowers of crimes in a tweet. The national reckoning on race over the summer put reality shows, which often rely on outrageous behavior from their casts, in a vexed position. There has always been a fine line between casting people who make good TV and casting toxic personalities who display unacceptable behavior. During his tenure on Vanderpump Rules, Taylor — whose real name is Jason Michael Cauchi — flirted with that line. While there is no doubt that Taylor’s outrageous behavior, serial cheating and willingness to gossip has been a primary engine for Vanderpump Rules plots at the show’s heights, he also inspired hatred among fans and his so-called friends." Aurthur also notes that Taylor likely didn't see his dismissal coming since he told a viewer via Instagram in October that "we are supposed to go back to filming this month. I think – that’s the last I heard.” Production on Vanderpump Rules has been at a standstill because restaurants in Los Angeles County remain closed to in-person dining. "More than most other reality shows, any new iteration of Vanderpump Rules relies on the L.A. restaurant business being at least partially open, even though many members of the cast no longer actually work at Vanderpump’s restaurants," says Aurthur. On Instagram, Taylor began his post writing: "The last 8 years on Vanderpump Rules have been some of the most challenging, rewarding and fulfilling years of my life." Cartwright, who is pregnant with their first child, shared a similar message, beginning her post with: "The last 5 years on Vanderpump Rules have been some of the most challenging, rewarding and fulfilling years of my life."